Frank's Blog

I had a great discussion this morning with Bill Search (author of Simple Small Groups) and Chad Allen (from Baker Books). We talked about a variety of issues around community and group life.

How open should groups be? We landed around empowering leaders to make decisions for our groups. Intimacy can be disrupted in group life and the timing of a new addition can have a big impact on spiritual growth. However, certain groups lend themselves to new additions. For example, Bill shared how his couples group can handle a new family at any moment. Intimacy is there but guys and gals don't share their deepest darkest secrets as quickly in a environment with the opposite sex.

Click here to buy the book

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Mark Batterson and Heather Zemple - Where Community Grow Best

I was lucky enough to connect with Heather on a panel we shared at the pre-conference session on community and social media. She is really as bright at Mark shared in the beginning of the talk.

Here are some points from their discussion:

- Don't confuse the outcome with the method

- There are a number of different ways to accomplish community

- EVERYTHING is an experiment (core value of National Community Church)

- We have to keep dreaming as leaders

- Use right brain imagination and left brain logic together

- Every small group should be viewed as a discipleship experiment (that gives you freedom to fail and not be afraid to try new things)

Ideas they tried at NCC:

- They use a tri-semester system 3 semesters for 8-12 weeks

- Have flexibility with your system so you can let other leaders who are resistent

- check out http://www.zonegathering.com/

- NCC's leadership small group blog - Mark Batterson's Blog - http://www.evotional.com/

- Shout out to twitter: Here is mine - www.twitter.com/chiapperino

- Bad experiment: Rock Band video game fundraiser - check the lyrics!!!

Maturity Does Not Equal Conformity

- Here is Heather's Blog on this one, I am not even going to attempt to explain what she does best. Click here to read her post.

- empower your leaders to lead, maturity does not mean conformity, let people try new things!!!

- Think about small groups as a free market system, expect your leaders to get a vision from God and GO FOR IT!

- Oswald Chambers: Let God be as original with others, as he was with you. Expect the Unexpected

- When a routine becomes routine, CHANGE IT

- Change of place = change of pace = change of perspective

- Jesus consistently change it up on his disciples. Heals on the sabbath, walks on water, throws down in the temple. A good leader has a good curve ball. Jesus had good curve balls.

- Unexpectedly appreciate your leaders by surprising them

We Need A Culture of Grace and Truth

- Truth: People want to hear it like it is

- Grace: love people when they least expect it and when they don't deserve it

- People need grace and truth

I gotta visit NCC at some point.

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This guy is funny, really funny. Here is some statements from Will that were great.

- The culture stunts community growth.

- The US leads the world in stress disorders

- 25% of Americans have stress related disorder

- Last year 46million Americans moved

- The average American is watching 28 hours of TV/week and the Internet is enhancing it.

- How many people have refrigerator rights in your house?

- The only definition of a family that holds any water is when you have a feeling that you belong

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Introduction

Bill Donahue shared some of the history of the Group Life Conference to start us off and it is hard to believe it has been 10 Years in the making of what it is today. He then introduced us to John Burke for our first session.

Why Community is Essential - John Burke What exactly are we supposed to be doing as small group leaders? What are we trying to do and what is God doing among us? What is Essential and why?

Here are some key statements I got from his talk:

-Relationship with God and others is essential

-John 15:5 We can do nothing without staying connected to God's love

-We can spend our lives doing good and miss the point of our existence

-We've made Christianity too complex, if all our bible studies, classes, and activities don't connect people with God's love they are pointless

-Stay connected - fruit happens

-When we stay connected God helps us become what he intends us to be

-Do you moment by moment stay in conversation with God?

-We need to try and train ourselves not to ignore God most of the day.

-TRY THIS EXERCIZE - 60-60 - While awake, connect with God one time, every 60 minutes, for 60 days. Get a watch that will beep every hour and connect with God when it beeps.

-Check out http://www.soulrevolution.net/

-In Genesis - God said it is NOT good for man to be alone. God wants us in community.

-Small group leadership only gets easier when you realize it is not up to you and that God is built into it.

-We hate isolation as humans and that is why our job as community leaders is so important.

-Spiritual growth is relational and that is what makes life in community essential.

I can't wait till the next session!

Dont forget to visit the Group Life blog - Click here to check it out!

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I am certainly looking forward to a great experience at the Group Life Conference this year.  Each year that I get to attend this learning experience I come back to my church with some fresh ideas for another season of ministry. 

I will be sure to be blogging through all the main sessions so keep visiting to check out the highlights from each speaker. 

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